Scholarly Research Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies,
Online ISSN 2278 8808, SJIF 2021 = 7.380, www.srjis.com
PEER REVIEWED & REFEREED JOURNAL, JULY AUGUST, 2022, VOL 10/72
THE ROLE OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
Vaishali C. Achakanalli, Ph. DPaper Received On: 25 AUGUST 2022
Peer Reviewed On: 31 AUGUST 2022
Published On: 01 SEPTEMBER 2022
Abstract
The concept of corporate social responsibility CSR can be explained as it is an application to society that extends beyond its application towards its shareholders or owners. Today CSR is playing an important role in empowering women right from encouraging them to get education till getting a source of income. Through the present study an impact has been made to know about the various CSR activities implemented by the large scale industrial organization for women empowerment. This study also analysed the impacts of CSR activities on women empowerment and focused on the various issues encountered in the implementation of CSR programs.
Keyword: Corporate Social Responsibility, Women Empowerment, Issues, Impacts
Scholarly Research Journal's is licensed Based on a work at www.srjis.com
I) Introduction:
Corporate social responsibility CSR is one of the most important concepts in the literature through which industrial organizations have a scope for ensuring a development status and empowerment of women in India. The initiatives of large scale industry organisation towards women empowerment through CSR is now an innovative way for changing society's attitude towards women. CSR are proved as very helpful in making an independent economy, socially and also physically to provide solutions to women related issues is the main objective of CSR with women empowerment. Many large scale industrial organisations in India are focused on providing basic education, skills and creating awareness among the women to solve their socio economic problems. Educational attainment and socio economic involvement are the major constituents in ensuring women empowerment. Through The CSR programs the large scale industrial organisations provide education skill development training and information pertaining to political, legal and economic issues and
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create awareness among women about health aspect. The present study is an attempt to focus on the CSR activities implemented by large scale industrial organizations for women empowerment. The present study and impact has been made to analyse the impact of CSR programs on the women empowerment and also attempted to understand the various issues encountered in the implementation of CSR programs for women empowerment.
II) Review of literature
1) D.T. Abraham (2013): Has focused on the existing CSR initiatives particularly those were support was provided to self help groups of Oman other has focused on the women empowerment programmes under CSR implemented by the Hindustan Unilever, Jindal Steel, Tata Steel, Vedanta etc.
2) A. A. Kumar (2013): Explain the concept of CSR Bing propagated by the corporate organisation in India. The study author has also focused on the various CSR programs implemented by the large industrial organisation in the context of women empowerment. Also explore the possibilities of entering into partnerships with corporate organizations to promote empowerment of women in India.
3) L. R. Pradhan (2015): Has attempted to study the CSR practices of some corporate organizations in the public and private sector. The author has focused on their social assistance towards empowering women and also focused on the CSR practices of Jindal Steel and national aluminium Company Limited.
4) K. Padmashree (2019): Discussion about how CSR extends beyond the traditional business to encompass new governmental and social drivers and emphasizes on the gender content of CSR in the banking sector. The study authors have observed that very few bands have included women empowerment content as CSR major content.
III) Methodology of the Study:
The present study is collaborative and exclusively based on the secondary information collected through the study reports, government reports, research papers etc. published in the various domestic and international journals. The information available on the Internet is also referred for the study purpose. The present study is related to the selected large scale industry organizations CSR practices for women empowerment. The results of the findings of the study are not generalized.
IV) Objectives
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1. To know about the CSR activities implemented by selective a large scale organisation in the field of women empowerment
2. To study and analyse the impact of CSR on women empowerment
3. To focus on the various issues encountered in the implementation of CSR activities for women empowerment.
V) Various CSR activities implemented by selected large scale business organization and industrial organizations in India
Today many organisations but seriously concerned about women empowerment. Many organisations have recognised that CSR is the way for them to develop their image in the society by doing activities for social welfare and statutory compliance and thereby achieving benefit from the government. The organisations are now focusing on the empowerment of women by providing basic education; skill development training etc. the following table indicates the expenditure of selected large scale organisation and industrial organisations during the financial year 2020 to 21.
Name of the organisations Prescribed CSR amt (in Cr) Actual Amt spent (In Cr)
ILC Ltd 352.84 365.43
Hindustan Unilever Ltd 161.7 165.08
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd 112.56 92.78
Vedanta Ltd 16.62 38.85
Axis bank Ltd 90.65 90.93
Jindal steel 119.8 121.02
Source: Annual reports of selected organizations FY 2020 21
1) ITC Ltd Connected some employment oriented location of training programs for rural women in many states and some other projects for eradicating poverty and promoting education in rural women particularly.
2) Hindustan Unilever Limited has in the field of human health, education and skill development programs for women. This organization conducts medical/ Health camps for women related to family planning pre and postnatal care, child care etc.
3) Mahindra and Mahindra Limited forged an empowering partnership with rural women. Mahindra and Mahindra Limited intervention leverages micro credit and skill development training for women to generate alternate job opportunities. This organization also organised
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programs through CSR in the field of Nutrition, health care and education for women and their children.
4) Vedanta Limited This organization believes that financial empowerment of women transforms 10 into powerful agents of social transformation. Therefore, this organization has launched an innovative income generation programme for women with an objective of making their families financially sustainable.
5) Axis Bank Axis Bank is also initiated in important capacity building and skill development into the women in the field of painting, stitching, poultry and goat rearing and computer literacy programs for educated women in rural parts of the country.
6) Jindal Steel empowering women and enhancing their interprovincial spirit is the vital aspect of Jindal Steel Limited CSR strategy. This organization encourages girl child education and organizes health and hygiene camps for weaker section Women, illiterate women and also for handicapped women. This organization imparts vocational training to the economically backward women for improving their financial condition and encouraging there for Savings and encouraging self help groups.
VI) Impact of CSR on women empowerment:
CSR deals with corporate application towards society and the applications towards a man become equally significant. Corporate and industrial organizations are now recognised women in every possible field in which it functions. Every organization has understood that the development of community is not possible without development of socio economic status of women. A major key of the industrial and business organisations are spending some of the allocated CSR budget towards developing the social economic condition of Oman and their well being, did the organization provide required guidance to the women for setting up micro Enterprises by self help groups of women and also in his work Oman who want to operate and Enterprises as a sole proprietor. The following are some important effects of CSR on women empowerment.
1) Gram Panchayats in all villages have one third strength of women due to the implementation of CSR programs; there is an increase in the Awareness of women rights and their participation in the politics and also in the progress of inhabitants there by improving their value in the society and in the family.
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2) Due to the skill development training programs from one are now able to achieve employment opportunities in various fields. They have improved their family income by Social entrepreneurship or jobs.
3) Due to the encouragement of confidence among the rural women they have comments on going to urban areas with their farm products and sharing directly to the consumers. Now they are able to increase their income.
4) Due to the CSR programs women's status in society and family has improved as they are contributing towards economic development. They are attending evening schools and improving on their knowledge. Both these have affected children becoming more in climb in improving their academic scores in the school examinations and leading a good lifestyle.
VII) Various dishes encountering in the implementation of CSR programs for women empowerment
There are many issues which are encountered in the implementation of CSR programs for women empowerment in India. Some major issues have also been elaborated in the following.
1) organization specific issues the organization specific issues includes lack of proper training of human resources, lack of adequate budgetary provision, lack of expertise are some of the common issues in the implementation of CSR programs for women empowerment in India. For the effective implementation of CSR programs there is a requirement of a large amount of financial budget and human resources. However, financial provisions for implementing CSR programs for women are often inadequately computed by other projects which guarantee higher return on the investment. Apart from this in any organization there is no special department that manages CSR activities exclusively. In some organizations the responsibility to manage CSR is assigned to other department managers for his performances are appraised on the basis of their original assigned duties.
2) Lack of strategic vision Strategic vision is attributed to the lack of top management commitments which may adversely affect the CSR practices. Many organizations are only addressed in CSR at the operational level and do not integrate them in their region and strategic objectives. In this organization CSR of an intense short term cost and only face off in the long run the CSR may be ignored by top management.
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3) Low willingness to pay for CSR Some organizations are still not being appropriately and adequately rewarded for their CSR efforts. This has also adversely affected the implementation of CSR programs in India.
4) Field work specific issues On the basis of some study reports it is found that there are also some fields for specific issues which are directly affected on the CSR programs implemented for women. There is a lack of interest of local women in participating and contributing to the CSR practices of the organization. This is largely attributable to the fact that there exist letters for no knowledge about CSR political interference and is also one of the major issues encountered in the implementation of CSR activities for the women empowerment purpose.
5) Shrinking role of government Shrinking of government resources with the district of regulation has led to the exploration of voluntary and non regulatory initiatives instead. There is efforts by the government to spread awareness regarding CSR and instil trust in the local women and community as whole
6) Lack of transparency Lack of transparency is also a major issue in implementing CSR initiatives. Maturity of the organizations have stated that lack of transparency on the part of local implementing Agencies as they do not make adequate efforts to disclose information about their programs, expenditure, impact assessment etc.
7) Other issues Apart from the above mentioned issues there are some other issues which encounter in the CSR programs for women empowerment, this issues are non availability of with organiser in US, narrow perception towards CSR initiatives, gender discrimination, lack of proper CSR guidelines, and lack of consensus and implementation of CSR programs for women empowerment.
IX) Conclusion
For the purpose of women empowerment the economic power of Industrial and business organizations is more important. At its best CSR in corporate governance and conduct that contributes to the realization for women empowerment. The major aim of CSR practice is not only to have brand recognition but to mark an effect in the society. It concluded that large in Industrial and business organizations can provide the push for furthering the development of women by improving job opportunities and enhancing their involvement in economic activities. For the effective implementation of women empowerment programs through CSR there is a need for creating awareness regarding CSR
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among the people. Efforts should be made by government corporate business and industrial organizations to overcome the religious issues encountered in the implementation of CSR programs for women empowerment. The government can play a role in encouraging large scale business and industrial organizations to adopt the nearby villages and Shoulder the the responsibility of women empowerment of those villages
References
D. T. Abraham (2013): CSR and empowerment of women: The way forward journal of management and research vol.7, No.4.
A. A. Kumar (2013),”Corporate social responsibility women empowerment in India” International Journal of Management Research and Development Vol.3, No.3
Akanksha Gupta and Vinod Kumar (2018): Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in women empowerment Indian Journal of Management Studies and Research, Vol.5 No.2
K. Swarnlatha and R. K. Anuradha (2017): Corporate social responsibility towards women empowerment International Journal of applied research Vol.3, No.6
S. S. Shetty and V.B.Hans (2019): CSR and women empowerment, a review of the research Vol.6, No.6
L. R Pradhan (2015): Corporate and women empowerment in Odisha, Odisha review, No.12
K. Padma Shri (2019): Women Empowerment through corporate social responsibility the role of Indian commercial bank, International Journal of Advanced research in management and Social Sciences Vol.3, No.6
G. B. Ratod (2018): A study on women empowerment by corporate houses in India as per CSR, International Journal of research in all subjects in multi languages, Vol.6 No.1
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